Photo By Zachary Mott | Specialist Vincent Post, right, an internment/resettlement specialist with the 75th...... read more read more
FORT McCOY, Wis. – Not many people may know that the Army Reserve provides detention operations in a U.S. Corrections Facility for U.S. military members who have gotten into trouble while overseas.
That’s exactly what Army Reserve Soldiers from the 75th Military Police Company, Joplin, Mo., trained on during their roughly 14-day stay here at the end of August. The mock site, double ringed with steel fencing topped with concertina wire, was designed to handle 10 to 12 detainees. However, the unit has the manpower and capabilities to handle more detainees if needed, based on the facility itself.
The detainee facility here was comprised of a holding site, in/out processing and medical buildings and dining facility. There is also a recreation yard for inmates. Guard towers give 31Es, internment resettlement specialists, a commanding view of the corrections facility grounds.
As many unexpected things can occur during detention operations, the Soldiers worked through a variety of scenarios that taught them how to manage detainees in a guard facility during theater operations.
Staff Sgt. Michael Fischer, guard force commander, listed a few of the scenarios: inmate escort, discipline and escape; a fire in the facility; and taking indirect fire. “While taking indirect fire, we also have to protect the detainees” Fischer said. “We’re responsible for the safety of the inmates.” Once the detainees are safe, accountability is taken.
Fischer stressed the importance of training in a COVID-19 environment. Communal cells don’t allow for 6-foot social distancing. “We make sure people wear their masks and are regularly washing their hands,” he said.
Specialist Hannah Brown works in her civilian life as a jailer, bringing many civilian skills to the unit. “This is really good training. The scenarios are detailed and real life,” she said.
Brown has found the best part of the training to be the quality of the facility in which to train and the availability of the right equipment. For her, the biggest challenge is to remain focused and not get bored, which can lead to lack of focus. To overcome monotony from doing the same job repetitively, the unit leadership rotates the Soldiers through various roles. This also helps Soldiers remain sharp and vigilant in whatever jobs they perform in theater.
“Everyone is trained on all jobs,” Fischer explained. “The Soldiers have to be proficient in every task. You don’t know what your job will be when you go overseas to a new facility.” The only jobs that remain gender based are those that involve searching male or female detainees.
Through it all, the Army Reserve Soldiers are improving their individual and unit readiness for their next role when they deploy to the Middle East next month. “We’re putting all the pieces together to see the big picture,” Fischer said.
| Date Taken: | 08.26.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 08.26.2020 16:35 |
| Story ID: | 376864 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 479 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, The Many Facets of Detainee Operations, by Cheryl Phillips, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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